L-R: Commander, Joint Task Force, Bayelsa State, Commodore Ime Henry Ekpa, Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr Frank Hanachor and Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Benaebi Oba, at the 2014 International Day Against Drug Trafficking in Yenagoa, recently.

A Federal High Court,
Abuja last Thursday  ordered that a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva and his co-accused persons, must always attend court proceedings for the N19.2 billion money laundering instituted against them   by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, gave the order in a ruling after parties’ lawyers argued on  whether it was necessary for the accused persons to attend court and enter the dock while still challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
Sylva and others are challenging the competence of the charges and also asking the court to disqualify the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), from handling the case.
Justice Mohammed, in his ruling held that Sylva and others, were, by law required to attend court at every hearing, since the charges had been formally instituted against them.
He said the accused were duty bound to attend court proceedings in relation to the charges  despite their pending applications challenging the court’s jurisdiction and the charges, and against the prosecuting counsel.
He added that the defence lawyers failed to show any legal provision that the client could stay away from court just because they had pending applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court and the competence of the charges.
Sylva was present at the Thursday’s proceedings. But the judge declined to issue bench warrant requested for by the prosecution lawyer against the absentee accused persons.
The judge said their counsel had sufficiently explained why their clients were absent from court. The EFCC had filed the 42 counts against the accused persons in 2013. The former governor and others were accused of money laundering involving N19.2bn.
Others charged along with Sylva are Francis Okoburo, Gbenga S. Balogun, Samuel Ogbuku, Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited and Haloween Blue Construction and Logistics Limited.
Sylva and Balogun reluctantly entered the dock on Thursday, but Okoburo and Ogbuku were absent from court.
Defence lawyers, including Israel Olorundare (SAN), who represented Sylva opposed the prosecution’s application for bench warrant.
Justice Mohammed adjourned till October 8 for hearing of the pending applications by the accused persons.